Don't waste your precious years.

I wasted 4 years of my life preparing for the UPSC CSE. The investment of money, time, and health was not worth it.

I spent almost ₹2 lakhs over these 4 years on various courses, books, test series, and so on.

It gave me zero returns. On top of that, I became obese and developed several health issues, along with crippling anxiety and stress.

Now, after all the hard work, years of trauma, low self-esteem, and lack of financial independence, I stand at ground zero.

UPSC is uncertain. You cannot fully trust all the topper videos you see on YouTube.

In my experience, I have seen people with very poor knowledge in GS — those who even confuse Nagara architecture with Vesara — still clear Mains.

So, what precautions should be taken by any fresher or anyone thinking about preparing for UPSC?

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1. For students in school

- Choose a professional course. Candidates who are doctors, lawyers, engineers, CAs, and teachers still clear UPSC.

- Your degree should not be chosen for UPSC, but for stability in case UPSC fails you.

- Your degree should reflect your interests, not just align with your optional subject.

- It should provide financial stability and career prospects, even if you decide to transition after UPSC.

- Do not blindly choose a B.A. in History or an LLB just for UPSC preparation. Even IITians fail to clear prelims.

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2. For students in college

- I highly recommend gaining at least one year of work experience after graduation.

- This gives you financial stability, so you don’t have to depend on your parents even to buy a ₹200 book.

- It helps you gain confidence in the real world.

- It strengthens your DAF (Detailed Application Form) for the UPSC interview (Personality Test) and helps you avoid questions like “Why didn’t you work after graduation?” or “What were you doing all these years?” from the interview panel.

- If you look at recent toppers, most of them have some work experience.

Examples:

Animesh Pradhan (AIR 2, 2023)

Shakti Dubey (AIR 1, 2024)

- Hence, having work experience can go a long way in giving you an edge in the UPSC interview.

- Start building your résumé early. Actively participate in college clubs, elections, and sports activities.

- In the UPSC DAF, there is a section for hobbies, achievements, awards, and leadership positions held. The groundwork you do in college will definitely strengthen your profile and give you an advantage.

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3. For candidates already preparing for UPSC

Start preparing for other exams like State PSCs, SSC, and Banking.

Even the Prime Minister has a backup plan—so why can’t you?

As Nietzsche once said, “Hope, in reality, is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torments of man.” Hence, blind faith without a strategic backup is the worst evil.

Prepare for other exams simultaneously.

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These are the key precautions I would suggest to any aspirant. Smart people learn from others’ mistakes—so learn from mine and from countless others caught in this draining UPSC cycle.

I highly recommend browsing Reddit. Many aspirants there have poured out their emotions after UPSC failed them.

Several are left with no job security, still preparing at age 30+, after more than 7 years in the UPSC cycle.

It’s always best to have a backup plan.

Ethics Saga

Ethics is the most scoring and most interesting paper ever. If you understood the concept, it will be more easier and you will literally fall in love with the paper. This Paper will test your conceptual clarity, your personality, your consistency in philosophy and ethical values, and creativity. 

Resources 

✓ Sunyaias Mains books for ethics / PWONLYIAS Prahar ( Choose any one as your main source) 

✓ KM Pathi sir lectures on YouTube 

✓ Indian express ethics simplified 

✓ Dr.Mardy's metaphorical quotes website

✓ Shubam Ajemera telegram - Ethics toppers copy compilation 

Optional 

✓ Ethicraftias vale addition material 

✓ Mains accelerator compilation of CSE Topper telegram channel 

✓ Diagram for ethics compilation by PWONLYIAS 

1. Conceptual clarity 

* Getting a good hang of the difference between ethics vs values , ethics vs morals , ethics vs law etc... is conceptual clarity.

* Mains questions are also reflecting on this trend. 

* Understanding refuge ethics, war ethics, environmental ethics also requires conceptual clarity. 

2. Testing your personality 

 Ethics paper also tests your personality. If your answers are mechanical and has the same formula for all the 19 questions, then the examiner will know that you have mugged up, with little understanding. 

So, you need not dump content in ethics as the other GS Papers , but being true to your values and articulating it in a correct way is important. 

3. Consistency in philosophy and ethical values 

In 19 answers , you should try to maintain some level of consistency in values. In one question, you should not justify ethical egoism and in the other question you should not justify ethical altrusism. Do not give contrasting opinions on different values throughout the answers. 

4. Creativity 

You can add so much creativity in introductions and conclusions. You can introduce the answers with quotes, your understanding of the question, or the definition of the term. You cannot add flowcharts and diagrams also for value addition. 

With these thoughts in mind, attempt PYQ and refer to model answers. Go through toppers copies vigorously for ethics. Try to answer the question first and then look at the topper answer. This way you will get better understanding of that question and how to understand the topic in a nuanced way. 

TEST SERIES

Everybody takes rest series for prelims. But analysis post the tests is as important as attempting it. Here's how you should analyse the attempted tests. 

POST - TEST ANALYSIS 

1. Try to complete the test within1.30 - 1.45 hours. Don't wait till the last minute to attend the questions. 

2. After checking the answer key and finding out the marks, whatever the marks might be , don't feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed. This is not the final marks. 

3. Then, go by each and every question. 

Things to look out for - 

* Why you got this question right/ wrong 

* If you got the question wrong , is it because of knowledge gap , silly mistake, or partially known statements. 

* If you got the question wrong by knowledgeable gap or silly mistake, be careful and try to avoid it later in next tests. 

* If it's because of partially known statements, then don't worry, take it as a learning solution. 

* Even if you got the question right, although you were not 100% sure of the answer, take notes of the solution in your own material/source/notes. 

4. Make a table - 100 question numbers in the row. In the column, add these - KG ( knowledge gap) , silly , partially known (50-50) , total guesswork. 

5. In this, you mark down your answers accordingly in the table. Find out, where is the most negative marking going to. 

* If it's silly mistake, then you need to practice more. Give tests everyday. 

* If it's knowledge gap, partially known statements or total guess work , then take down the notes from the solution for these questions and try to add it your own notes/material / source. 

This process will help you in several ways as mentioned below : 

- no need to take the question paper and revise it again.

- when revising a topic, you will be recalling the value addition from test series too. 

- no last minute hassles of seeing the lengthy solution booklets. 

- easy photographic memory. 

- wholesome topic wise revision. No need to search separately for value addition. 

- less errors of getting the same question wrong in later upcoming tests. 

This process is the easiest and takes only another 1.30 -- 2 hours at most. 

You need not revisit the question paper or the solution for reviewing again. 

All will be organised at one place. 

Do try this method for Post test series analysis. 

Good Youtube channels for UPSC CSE PREP

 Youtube has become an ubiquitous guru for UPSC CSE prep. But, one  cannot consume all available content on Youtube. Here's a list of beneficial youtube channels to aid your prep, so that you need not waste time watching irrelevant content and doomscrolling on youtube. 

1. Clarity for UPSC by DR. Shivin
2. AICSSC TN
3. CSE MATRIX
4. Down to earth 
5. Mind for Math for CSAT
6. UPSCprep.com
7. Cut the Clutter
8. The Hindu Youtube channel
9. Clear vision for UPSC
10. Ethics 101 by KM Pathi sir
11. Minds of Aspirants

Useful telegram channel

These are the useful telegram channels for aiding UPSC preparation. 

1. Clarity for UPSC by Dr. Shivin

2. UPSC with GG

3. CSE topper by Vikas Dhayal 

4. Shubam Ajemera channel 

5. CA that matters 

6. Essay by BB 2025

7. Masterkey to UPSC  

8. Atish Mathur official

9. CSE matrix official 

10. Aram townhall group

11. UPSC preparation by Subburaj IFSC ( For tamil literature) 

12. IAS tamilkoodam ( for tamil literature)

13. Ethiccraft ias 

14.  IAS exam congress 

15. Dheeraj Panchal compilations 

The ideal timetable

This image contains the timetable and to-do list for everyday tasks to be completed in the preparation. You can take a printout or just copy the same in your notebook everyday. 

Checklist for mains

This below list contains the UPSC mains syllabus in table format. It helps you to tick the portions once completed, thus creating a tracker for your progress. Happy learning 😺